Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show

From "Paris To Cuba" with Mario Grigorov

Straight No Chaser is the place for jazz lovers (and those who will soon be jazz lovers) to enjoy podcasts with their favorite music and artists. Winner of the 2017 JazzTimes Readers' Poll for Best Podcast, your host Jeffrey Siegel will take you inside the world of jazz, from the new releases to the best festiva;s to remembrances of jazz legends.

Deeply introspective and impressionistic, and yet willing
to dance the night away when called upon, Mario Grigorov's latest
CD, Paris to Cuba takes the listener on an
imaginary trip from the City of Lights to the Caribbean. After the
opening solo piano theme of "Ice Hotel" set the stage, "Cuban Soil,
Cuban Sun" features sultry guitars and horns to let you know you're
heading for some tropical heat. You're more than happy to tag along
with this talented pianist and his collabroators.

Grigorov has worked with Brazilian master Oscar Castro-Neves
before, so his sense of Latin music is filtered through that calmer
sensibility, recalling the swaying sound of Rio rather than fire of
Havana. Vocalist Melissa Newman's fine contributions to "I See" and
"Every Little Movement" add to the sense of romance.

A big-beat
version of "Ice Hotel" and the driven "Snake Eyes" let us know
it's not all siesta time for Grigorov and his band, as Bob Dobrow's
drums and Jeff Hill's bass lay the foundation for some dance
tunes.

This is a CD for the late days of August, while enjoying a cold
libation on the deck. In fact, I'm going to try that right now.